Escape From Skull Island #1 is written by Simon Furman and published by Titan Comics. Artwork is by Christopher Jones, colours by Charlie Kirchoff and letters by AndWorld Design. Main cover art (left) is by Maria Wolf and J.P. Jordan
Escape From Skull Island #1 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
Trapped on Skull Island, a desperate band of survivors struggles against the land’s relentless horrors while an ancient threat rises from below. But as chaos unfolds, flashbacks reveal Kong’s turbulent youth: his battles, losses, and the primal instincts that shaped him into the island’s sovereign.
Now, as hordes of monstrous beasts close in on the stranded humans, the most dangerous enemy of all regains strength to once more challenge Kong’s throne.
Review
I said there would be no more “monkey business” in 2026, but we’re barely out of January and Escape From Skull Island #1 has sent me bananas, tearing up my new years resolution in ape-reciation for Titan and Legendary Entertainment Comics new Monsterverse miniseries staring King Kong.
Escape From Skull Island is a sequel to 2025’s, Return to Skull Island created by Simon Furman and Christopher Jones, who reunite, to tell a new tale, that also serves as an official continuation of Netflix’s Skull Island animated series. As such, the book has the vibe of a fun and action-packed Saturday morning cartoon, with the art style taking heavy influence from the aforementioned Netflix series by Powerhouse Animations. Colourful, dramatic and dynamic panels that serve scale and story in a sumptuous survival saga.
I came to this without having seen the animated show, nor had I read Return to Skull Island, but this did not impede or diminish my enjoyment. Escape from Skull Island #1 sets the scene and stakes succinctly and left me hungry for more.
We follow a diverse group of explorers, traversing the dangerous Skull Island with the support of our favourite simian supe. On their adventure our struggling survivors face unrelenting ground level peril, while simultaneously, an ancient evil threat rises from below to challenge Kong’s dominion over the Island…
This comic is laced with good old fashioned Monster VS Monster fun, Kong and co take on several burley behemoths, as well as taking some downtime in a safe subterranean spot. Our motley crew of explorers, complete with their own canine kaiju mascot, are of equal focus to the story, as the aforementioned ape.
In my opinion the motivational make-up of the crew is reminiscent of the kind of squads compiled in the original Jurassic Park movies, injecting purpose and pace into the story along with some well-placed humour and levity.
There’s expansion of lore from other Monsterverse media, which I personally enjoyed, but maybe opens a wider question for existing Monsterverse fans, about how exactly this squares away with the movies? Visually and tonally, it is very different from the live action stories told in the universe. Is that a problem? It wasn’t for me.
I have been on something of a Kaiju kick of late, so I was open to the idea of adopting these differences, despite not having seen the animated series- it’s possible that not all new readers will be so open-minded. However, if you’re a fan of the Netflix show or previous comic instalments, this is almost certainly something you have long since squared away and are at ease with.
Kraken, giant hawks, humongous hippopotamus and bizarrely big bugs keep it feeling very true to classic Kaiju fun, but the more original monster designs, who are working at the behest of the ancient evil antagonist, also effortlessly fit the tone of the world that this animation inspired comic book creates, offering a more supernatural vibe than a lot of classic King Kong stories.
#1 sold me, I’m invested in the characters, the story and the world. Escape Skull Island’s Saturday Morning cartoon vibe is endearing, comfortable and fun and with Furman and Jones known for high stakes, intense, cosmic level, action packed stories, I’m really excited to see exactly where this duo takes it!
Verdict
Escape Skull Island #1 is a must for any Kaiju craving, creature loving comic book connoisseur, who has enjoyed existing instalments of the Monsterverse or has a King Kong shape hole in their life that needs filling.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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